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Apple should know better than sue phone makers left and right. The iPhone maker should honor fair-play in the mobile arena rather than exhibit “constant attempts at litigations”. That’s a summary of the Taiwanese Android phone maker HTC’s latest back and forth with rival Apple over an alleged breach of patents and intellectual property which Apple first asserted back in March of 2010.

The comment came in response to Apple’s Monday filing with the International Trade Commission seeking to block the import and sale of HTC’s devices. HTC’s PR machine kicked into overdrive and their general counsel Grace Lei stepped forward and toldAssociated Press that his company won’t be intimidated by Apple’s legal sharks:

HTC is disappointed at Apple’s constant attempts at litigations instead of competing fairly in the market. HTC strongly denies all infringement claims raised by Apple in the past and present and reiterates our determination and commitment to protect our intellectual property rights.

HTC made a bet on Android at the expense of Microsoft’s mobile operating system three years ago. The gamble has certainly paid off. Strong sales of HTC-branded Android phones and the handsets they make for the likes of Google and others boosted second-quarter income to NT$17.5 billion (about $608 million). HTC also acquired graphics maker S3 Graphics for $300 million, quite possibly to leverage their 235 patents and pending applications as it gears up for legal fights with Apple and eventually Microsoft (when the $5-per-handset Android patent deal with Microsoft expires).